Done.

That’s really all I could say at the end of the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon last week. Running 13.1 miles takes a lot out of you. With just over a week to recouperate, I’m ready to share everything I discovered about running, marathons, myself and more.

A Mile-by-Mile Half Marathon Video

I decided to take a camera with me and film a mile-by-mile editorial of my race progress. You can view by clicking on the YouTube video link below, but be warned… it’s a horrible video. Really bad. It’ dark, shaky, long and features me topless. I’m sure only race fanatics and Disney fans would have the patience to watch the whole thing.

Nonetheless, there are a few bright spots: the fireworks opening, catching a glimpse of the Main Street Electrical Parade Float in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Parking Lot and the finish line music. There’s also a hot air balloon thrown in for good measure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAqAjagtGjE

Half Marathon Pearls of Wisdom

Running a half marathon? Thinking about it? Here are all the pearls of wisdom I can share.

1. Strive for a half marathon. If anything. Add it to your adventure list. You’ll be glad you did. I never thought I could do it, but I did. And you can too.
2. Drink lots – but not too much. I drank a ton of water to stay hydrated. And then boarded a long bus ride to the starting line. I had to pee really bad. How bad? This was the worst pee feeling ever. In 29 years of my life, I have never had to pee this bad and couldn’t. Trapped on a bus. My bladder is still pissed at me (like the pun)?! So drink a lot, but make sure you pee before boarding the bus.
3. Watch your pacing at the beginning. I had so much energy at the start that I was running way faster than I should have. I couldn’t help it with all the energy and excitement. Just be careful.
4. Keep to your training plan. I think I was in more pain since I wasn’t able to keep to the training plan I received (due to a hectic work schedule). If you train hard (it only takes 3 months), you’ll be fine.
5. Wear comfortable clothes. I was outfitted in Lululemon shorts and a shirt. I loved them both. They were comfortable and fashionable (though in hindsight, I would have picked a brighter shirt than black for a night run). Luluemon and local running clinic Our Sole Intent were fantastic cheerleaders in this quest of mine and I’d suggest you check both of them out.
6. Run Topless?I confess I took my shirt off for the middle of the race because I was afraid of bleeding nipples. I heard lots of tricks like spreading vaseline and/or band-aids on them to prevent said bleeding. But at the end of the day, I was a scaredy-cat and opted to take it off and tuck it in my back pocket. I even took a picture of my nipple on the big screen.
7. Don’t bring a camera. It’s just another thing to carry. Maybe I’m a purest, but I like to run minimally, I don’t even listen to music.
8. Snacks. Clif Bars are gross. Clif Bar Shot Gels are even grosser. Clif Bar Shot Bloks are delicious.
9. Walk briskly through water stations. Have you ever tried drinking and running? You end up with more water on your shirt than in your mouth.
10. Thank the volunteers. The people giving you water and snacks are volunteers. Thank them. They are great supporters.They have to clean up lots of cups.
11. Forget about goals. The goal of the marathon is to finish. To not get swept up by the sweeper vans. I finished in 2:58:32. Under 3-hours is fine by me. You’re here to have fun. To exercise. And to achieve.
12. Finishing is great. It really is.
13. Don’t do anything the day after. You deserve it, so don’t bother doing anything the following day.
14. Indulge. Look You’ve just burned nearly a day’s worth of energy. So have a bottle of wine and celebrate.

What advice would you give to someone running a half marathon? Share by commenting.

I’ll see you out there…! At the finish line.

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